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  • Akhil Sharma – Visiting Writer

    Sharma is a highly decorated short-story writer and novelist; he’s been awarded many of the most prestigious prizes and recognitions that a fiction writer can receive. His first novel, An Obedient Father (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000), hailed in New York Magazine by Jonathan Franzen as “A great novel” and described by Hilary Mantel in the New York Review of Books as “uncompromising,” with a “first chapter . . . [that] blasts off the locks and splinters the wood,” received the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

    Sharma’s second novel, the spectacular Family Life (Norton, 2014), received both the International Dublin Literary Award and the Folio Prize. Scholar and writer Edmund White called it “a terse, devastating account of growing up as a brilliant outsider in American culture” and described it as “a near perfect novel.”

    Sharma’s third and most recent book, the story collection A Life of Adventure and Delight (Norton, 2017), prompted writer Yiyun Li to describe Sharma as “truly the Chekhov of our time.” His stories have been widely published and anthologized, appearing in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Best American Short Stories, and O. Henry Award Stories. 

    Indeed, Sharma is such an exacting and rigorous writer that, quite unusually, he recently published a revised and rewritten edition of An Obedient Father (McNally Editions, 2022) more than twenty years after it first appeared in print. The critic Wyatt Mason, reviewing the revised version in The New York Times Magazine, described this as “Something white-rhino rare in the history of literature”, adding, approvingly, “there is scarcely a paragraph that hasn’t been improved . . . ”

    Born in Delhi, India, Sharma grew up in Edison, NJ. Before becoming a professor at Duke, where he now teaches, he was on the faculty at Rutgers. He is an engaging and surprising speaker and an excellent reader of his work

    This event is sponsored by The Visiting Writers Series, with the Center for the Arts and the Intercultural Center.

  • Georgia O’Keeffe: the Brightness of Light

    Georgia O’Keeffe: the Brightness of Light is a 2-hour documentary exploring the life and art of the most important woman artist of the 20th century – the ”Mother of Modernism.” In the 1920s, O’Keeffe became famous for her paintings of flowers, bones, and the beauty of nature. She posed nude for shocking photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, but denied that her paintings depicted sexual imagery. In the 1970s, she emerged as an iconic role model for women.

  • EOS Encore – Michelangelo: Love & Death

    The spectacular sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo seem so familiar to us, but what do we really know about this Renaissance giant? Michelangelo’s genius is evident in everything he touched. Beautiful and diverse works such as the towering statue of David, the moving Pietà in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter and his tour-de-force, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, still leave us breathless today.

    Spanning his 88 years, Michelangelo – Love and Death takes a cinematic journey through the print and drawing rooms of Europe through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican to seek out a deeper understanding of this legendary figure’s tempestuous life, his relationship with his contemporaries and his incredible legacy.

    Through expert commentary, stunning visuals and Michelangelo’s own words, this film takes a fresh look at a master artist whose life and genius are celebrated in every mark he made. Returning to cinemas in 2025 to celebrate this iconic artist’s 550th birthday.

    Sculptor, painter, architect, poet, genius – discover why Michelangelo is without a doubt one of the greatest artists of all time.

  • Exhibition on Screen – Dawn Of Impressionism, Paris 1874

    The Impressionists are the most popular group in art history – millions flock every year to marvel at their masterpieces. But, to begin with, they were scorned, penniless outsiders. 1874 was the year that changed everything; the first Impressionists, “hungry for independence”, broke the mould by holding their own exhibition outside official channels. Impressionism was born and the art world was changed forever.

    What led to that first groundbreaking show 150 years ago? Who were the maverick personalities that wielded their brushes in such a radical and provocative way? The spectacular Musée d’Orsay exhibition brings fresh eyes to this extraordinary tale of passion and rebellion. The story is told not by historians and curators but in the words of those who witnessed the dawn of Impressionism: the artists, press and people of Paris, 1874. See the show that changed everything on the big screen.

    Made in close collaboration with the Musee d’Orsay and National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

  • Exhibition on Screen – Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers

    200 years after its opening and a century after acquiring its first Van Gogh works, the National Gallery, London is hosting the UK’s biggest ever Van Gogh exhibition. Van Gogh is not only one of the most beloved artists of all time, but perhaps the most misunderstood.

    This film is a chance to reexamine and better understand this iconic artist. Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionized his style. Van Gogh became consumed with a passion for storytelling in his art, turning the world around him into vibrant, idealized spaces and symbolic characters.

    Poets and lovers filled his imagination; everything he did in the south of France served this new obsession. In part, this is what caused his notorious breakdown, but it didn’t hold back his creativity as he created masterpiece after masterpiece. Explore one of art history’s most pivotal periods in this once-in-a-century show.

  • Theatre Fest Fall 2024 – Musical Theatre Majors and Minors Showcase

    Presented by Monmouth University’s Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
    Director: Mary Jodry, ‘27

    The Musical Theatre Majors and Minors Showcase is a cabaret-style performance featuring some of Monmouth University’s best musical theatre performers. This showcase has a combination of musical theatre solos and group numbers showing the students’ vocal, acting, and dancing abilities. By attending this showcase, you will witness a group of musical theatre performers collaborating to not only create a one-night performance but also exemplify the future of the Monmouth University theatre program!

  • Theatre Fest Fall 2024 – Alpha Psi Omega Presents: To Be or Not to Be: Hamlet, an Abridged Staging

    Presented by Monmouth University’s Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
    Director: Julianna Chesla. ‘27

    To Be or Not To Be: Hamlet, an Abridged Staging, performed exclusively by members of Alpha Psi Omega, Rho Rho Chapter. This organization consists of the elite members of the Monmouth University Music and Theatre Arts Department, who through their hard work and dedication qualified to join this national theatre honor society. Join us for an intimate, staged reading of a Shakespearean classic.

  • Theatre Fest Fall 2024 – Music and Theatre Collaboration: Celebrating Stephen Sondheim

    Presented by Monmouth University’s Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
    Director: Antonia Bongiorno, ‘26
    Accompanist: Maggie Tripold

    Celebrating Sondheim is a vibrant musical tribute to Stephen Sondheim, one of the greatest composers in American musical theatre. Join us as Monmouth University’s talented music and theatre students perform a curated selection of his most iconic works. This unforgettable evening highlights Sondheim’s genius and celebrates the passion of those who bring his music to life.

  • Theatre Fest Fall 2024 – Spark Sessions: A Night of Original Works by MU Players

    Presented by Monmouth University’s Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
    Director: Nora O’Rourke, ‘25
    Featuring original works by Kailey O’Connell,’28; Timothy Pakrad,’25; Chris Rodriquez,‘25 and Juno Snider, ’27.

    Spark Sessions: A Night of Original Works by MU Players is an exciting event showcasing a collection of student-written one-act plays and poems. The event highlights the creativity and diverse voices of Monmouth’s emerging playwrights.

  • Theatre Fest Fall 2024 – Fresh Faces of 2024: A Showcase of Monmouth’s Talented Theatre Freshman

    Presented by Monmouth University’s Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
    Director: Emily Stein, ‘28

    Come see the newest talent to join the Monmouth University theatre family. The Fresh Faces Showcase shows off the wonderful artistic performance skills of the class of 2024.